Folding chair.



-c. L. CRAIG.. FOLDING CHAIR. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1916.

1 ,21 8,6 1 2. Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET i- WITNESSES: I I I YAIi/EIVTOR I CZ/0f A Cfifl/G m: Nnnms PETERS cc. PNO'IIHJDIOH wAsHmcr C. L. CRAIG.

FOLDlNG CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1916.

Patented 1111-. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I/Vl/ENTOR 621 05 A 67mm,

WITNESSES:

BY a A TTORNEYS ran NT @FFIC CLYDE L. CRAIG, OF WASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COFFMAN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON COURT-HOUSE, OHIO.

nonnrne CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 13, 1916. Serial No. 90,875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLYDE L. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVasliington Court-House, in the county of Fayette and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a. specification.

One of the principal objects of my invention to provide an improved folding chair of such nature and design as to be unsusceptible of ready forward tipping, so that a persons weight may with perfect safety be placed upon any part of the chair seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved folding chair in which the chair seat and back are connected by links with one set of the chair legs, so'that the device may be quickly and compactly folded by simply lifting upon the forward edge of the chair seat, the action of the links being such as to draw the chair legs and back into compactly folded position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a folding chair which will be extremely simple, durable, efiicient in operation, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which- Figure 1 represents a view in section taken centrally and vertically through a chair constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a fragmentary view in perspective of the chair.

Fig. 3 represents a view in section taken vertically through the chair, the same being in folded position, said view being taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 4

Fig. 4 represents a view in front elevation of the chair, showing the same in folded position.

In carrying out my invention, I have provided a chair which when in extended or unfolded position, is automatically locked against accidental collapsing or folding movement, and which is so constructed that in folding the chair it is only necessary to lift upon the seat portion thereof, this lifting motion being transmitted through a suitable link arrangement, to the chair legs upon which the scat rests and to the back, for drawing them into properly folded positions.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the chair comprises in general a pair of front legs 5, rear legs 6, a seat 7. and a r u 1 back 8. The legs 6 which are spaced apart and braced by the dowels 9, are pivotally connected. with the legs 5 at a point above the center of the latter, andnear the forward edges thereof, by means of a rod 10.

The legs 6 are disposed between the legs 5,

and bear against the inner surfaces of the latter. These legs 5 near their lower ends are connected and braced by means of a panel or bar 11. When the chair is in extended position, the legs 5 are arranged at a greater slant than are legs 6, and the lower portions of legs 5 extend out slightly beyond the forward edge of the chair seat 7, so as to engage the floor at points substantially directly under the forward edge of said seat, while therear legs 6 engage the floor at points beyond the rear edge of the chair seat. This arrangement provides for the maintenance of the seat and of the chair against forward and rearward tipping, no.

matter upon what portion of the seat the weight is placed, whereby tipping of the chair either forwardly or rearwardly, can only be accomplished by definite exertion toward that end.

The seat 7 which consists essentially of a three-sided frame 12 connected transversely by the slats 13, is pivotally connected adjacent its rear edge, upon a rod 14, with the front legs 5 at a point above the pivotal point 10 of the rear legs. The upper ends of legs 6 are beveled off to engage flat against the under surfaces of the side rails of frame 12 when the chair is in outwardly extended position. The seat 7 thus rests upon the upper portions of legs 6, at substantially its central portion. The legs, 6 are connected with the seat through the medium of a pair of links 15 each pivoted near its rear end to the inner face of one of the side rails 12 of the seat frame beneath the slats 13, and at its forward end pivotally connected with one of the chair legs 6 near the upper end thereof. When the chair is in outwardly extended position, the links 15 occupy nearly horizontal positions, being so arranged that the pivotal points 16, that is, those points at which the links are connected with the chair seat, lie within the are ,rearwardly with the legs 6.

described by the front pivotal point 17 of the links in moving about the rod 10 as a center, so that the chair is thus locked in extended position against force applied to any portion of the chair and in any direction except an upward pull applied to the seat 7 at the front portion of the latter. A lift applied to the forward portion of the seat will, as will be hereinafter set out, result in moving the chair into folded position.

The side rails or bars 18 of the back 8 lie between the front legs 5 and in alinement The back is pivoted upon the legs at a point above the pivot point 1 1 of seat 7, through the medium of a rod 19 extending through the legs 5 and the side rails or bars 18 of the back. The lower ends of rails 18 are beveled as at 20, and when the chair is in unfolded position, these beveled surfaces rest against the rear edges of the legs 6 in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The side bars 18 of the back are connected adja tent their lower ends each by means of a. link with one of the rear legs 3, at a point below the pivotal point 1.0 of said rear legs. The links 21 serve to maintain the rails 18 in place against legs (3 when the chair is extended, and when the chair is be; ing folded, serve to draw the legs 18 into their folded positions between the legs 5.

In folding the chair, the back 8 may be grasped and the chair tilted forwardly upon the lower ends of the legs 5, and the forward edge of seat 7 engaged and drawn upwardly. This movement of the seat will be transmitted through the links 15 to the legs 6, thus moving them upon their pivots 10, so that thelower ends of the legs will move forwardly toward the lower ends of legs 5. From the legs 6 the motion will be transmitted through the links 21 to the lower ends of the back rails 18, whereby the back will be swung upon its pivot 19 into parallel relation with the legs 5. WV hen the seat 7 is finally moved into its folded position, in which it is substantially parallel with the legs 5, the back 8 together with its side rails 18, and the legs 6, will have moved into substantially parallel relation with the legs 5, and will be housed between them. It will thus be seen that through the action of the legs 6 as a lever, and the action of the links 15 and 21, the chair parts will be moved into properly folded position simply by raising the seat 7. upon its pivot 11. V hen it is desired to move the chair into extended position, the forward or upper edge of the seat may be thrown downwardly, and the parts will be moved into the posi tion indicated in Fig. 1.

Although I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I may desire to make such changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts thereof, as do not depart from the spirit of the invention, and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim 7 1. The herein described folding chair comprising a pair of spaced front legs, a pair of spaced rear legs crossing the front legs and pivoted thereto, a back including side rails pivotally connected to the front legs, said side rails arranged in coplanar relation with the respective rear legs and adapted to rest at their lower ends against the rear legs when the chair is in extended position, a seat pivoted to the front legs and resting when in extended position upon the upper ends of the rear legs, a pair of upper links pivotally connected at their forward ends to the rear legs and at their rear ends to the seat, and a pair of lower links pivotally connected at their ends to the side rails of the back and to the rear legs.

2. The herein described folding chair comprising a pair of front and rear legs cross ing each other and pivotally connected together, a back pivotally connected to the front legs and resting, when the chair is in extended position, at its lower end against the rear legs, a seat pivotally connected with the front legs and resting, when the chair is in extended position, against the upper ends of the rear legs, a pair of upper links connected at their rear ends with the seat and at their forward ends with the rear legs near the upper ends of the latter, and a pair of lower links connected at their ends with the back and with the rear legs.

3. In a folding chair, the combination with a pair of rear and front legs crossed and pivotally connected together, a back pivotally connected to the front legs and resting when the chair is in extended posi tion against the rear legs, and a seat pivotally connected to the front legs and resting when the chair is in extended position against the upper ends of the rear legs, a pair of upper links connecting the rear legs and the seat, and a pair of lower links connecting the rear legs and the back, said links operating when the chair seat is lifted to transmit motion to the rear legs and back for moving them into folded position.

4. In a folding chair, the combination of front and rear pivotally connected legs, a back pivotally connected with the front legs and adapted to rest against the rear legs when the chair is in extended position, a seat pivotally connected with the front legs, a pair of upper links connecting the seat with the rear legs, and a pair of lower links connecting the back with the rear legs.

CLYDE L. CRAIG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, D. G. 

